Containers and closure or like parts thereof



Feb. 6, 1962 F. MUHLHOFF 3,019,956

CONTAINERS AND CLOSURE OR LIKE PARTS THEREOF 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov.22, 1957 Jay Feb. 6, 1962 F. MUHLHOFF 3,

CONTAINERS AND CLOSURE OR LIKE PARTS THEREOF 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov.22, 195'? 3,019,956 Patented Feb. 6, 19 62 3,019,9545 CQNTAENERS ANDCLOSURE OR LIKE EARTS TI-EREOF Friedrich Miihlhoil, Koln-Biclrendorf,Germany, assignor to Mauser Kommandit-Gesellschaft, Koln-Ehrenfeld,

Germany Filed Nov. 22, 1957, Ser. No. 698,307 Claims priority,application Germany Dec. 14, 1956 2 Claims. (Cl. 229-5.7)

The present invention relates, in general, to improvements in theconstruction of containers or receptacles and, in particular, to endclosure members or like parts therefor.

In prior art containers having body members formed of fibrous sheetmaterial, such as paperboard, cardboard or other inexpensive sheetmaterial, the cover and bottom members are usually made of steel orsheet-metal, especially when they must be specifically shaped to providefor reinforcement of containers required for certain uses.

Since non-metallic containers are frequently used for materials having adelicate or sensitive flavor, or a strong taste, the metallic endmembers must be provided with suitable corrosion resistant or chemicallyinert coatings. These circumstances lead to quite expensive containerstructures since the additional cost of the coating must be added to thehigh cost of the metallic end or closure members. Where a non-metalliccontainer is provided, the liners or coats provided for the metallic endmembers must also be provided for paperboard 'or fibrous end members,which results in another considerable increase in the cost ofproduction. Furthermore, the production of fiber or paperboard endmembers with suitable rim shapes requires certain production techniqueswhich are also relatively expensive. It is also quite 'difiicult toattach simple fiat end members of paperboard or fibre sheet material tothe body member of the container and, consequently little use istherefore made of such end members. Furthermore in both sheet metal endmembers and in paperboard or fiber end members, especially whereprovided with an inner lining, the provision of filling or dispensingspouts is expensive and presents great dilficulties, and in the case ofthe last mentioned materials, the mounting of the required spoutsthereon may not be possible or practical.

It is a primary object of the present invention to 'pro vide meanobviating the difficulties encountered in the manufacture of endmembers, Whether made of sheet,

metal or fibrous sheet material, as the latter must be provided withinner liners or coats.

It is another object of the present invention to provide means conduciveto ellective and highly economical structures of end members which maybe used without liners or coatings proper.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means afiordingthe employment of end members formed of a material which requires noliners or coats and which can be readily formed into various desiredshapes by simple and inexpensive process steps.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means ensuringsturdy and simplified structures of end members construction in whichthe filling or dispensing spouts may be formed directly therein ortherewith.

Another object of the present invention is to provide relativelyinexpensive end members which are resistant to corrosion and arechemically inert.

A further object of the invention is to provide means contributing tohighly desirable end members which can be formed of relativelyinexpensive base material.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide means facilitatingthe treatment of a-container and/or its cover and bottom made ofcardboard, paperboard or like fibrous material for the dual purpose ofobtaining strong and sturdy receptacle parts which will not onlywithstand strains, stresses and impact, but which distinguish also fromother containers in that its resistance to corrosion is simultaneouslygreatly enhanced.

It is also another object of the present invention to provide meansensuring the creation of a container with a corrosion-resistant coatingwith which the container is imbued, treated or otherwise processed forpacking and storing edible goods of highly sensitive flavor, or othertypes of liquids and materials, which may be easily spoiled which aresubject to corrosion.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide meansaffording a substantially inert lining for application to a containerwhich contributes to a reduction in the cost of manufacturing thecontainer with filling and/ or pouring fittings without involvingcorrosion thereof.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide meansredounding to relatively simple shaping measures for forming packing andshipping containers with a minimum number of operational steps.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means permittingefiicacious and inexpensive utilization of additives or like substanceswhile forming the container from cardboard or like fibrous or cellulosicmaterials whereby to the latter a high degree of elasticity or rigiditymay be imparted. 7

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention willbecomes apparent from a reading of the following description taken inconnection with the annexed drawings which are illustrative of thepresentlypreferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a cross-section through an end member pursuant to the presentinvention; 7

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 and illustrates an other embodimentof the invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-section taken through an end memberpursuant to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 and'illustrates still anotherembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1 and illustrates an additionalembodiment;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view which illustrates a modificationin the embodiment of FIG. 5, and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view through a pair of superposedcontainers constructed according to the present invention. V

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings in detail, there is shown an endmember 1, pursuant to the present invention for a packing container orreceptacle (not illustrated). The end member 1 may be utilized as theupper closure member or cover, as well as the lower closure member orbottom, for a hollow body member forming a container. Such a body memberis built up from relatively inexpensive material, such as, for example,and not by way of limitation, paperboard, fiberboard or other similarfibrous sheet material.

Where the containers are used for holding materials or products whichhave a delicate or sensitive flavor, or a rather strong taste, or wherethe materials are chemically active and may cause corrosion of thecontainer, the body is provided with a special lining of chemicallyinert material to protect such flavor or taste or to prevent corrosion,as the case may be. Pursuant to the present invention, the opposite endmembers for such a container also protect such delicate flavors of thecontents and are resistive to corrosion.

The end member 1 is formed of a suitable inert material, such as aplastic composition stabilized with a suitable filler, so that thenecessity for a special lining on the inner surface thereof is obviated.The end member may, for example, and not by way of limitation, be formedof polyester resin reinforced with a glass fiber or with another knownsynthetic fiber. Since such materials are resistant to corrosion andchemically insensitive to the flavors of the contents of the container,no special lining is required.

Where the covers or bottoms can be of a relatively simple shape, orwhere pouring or filling spouts are not re quired, cheaper base-materialmay be used, which material is saturated or coated with a suitableplastic. For example, porous paperboard may be immersed in and saturatedwith a suitable plastic before it is shaped into the desired form;During the subsequent pressing or molding operation, the paperboard,treated in such man nor, will produce a rigid or flexible workpiece,depending upon the type of plastic with which it was treated. Pursuantto another method of forming the end members, thin unfinished sheets ofpaper are backed on both surfaces with a plastic film, which may be ofthe hot or cold setting type. For example, the paper sheets may becoated by a calender process. Several sheets, the number correspondingto the desired thickness of the end member, may then be pressedtogether. The coatings on the opposite surfaces of the individualsheets. of paper cause a complete saturation thereof with the plastic bypenetration of the plastic into the individual sheets, so

as to substantially promote the workability of the resultant laminatedmember. Said member may be formed into various different shapesorcon-formations, as may be required for use thereof as end members forcontainers.

The end member 1, formed as described from a stabilized plastic, isprovided with a raised circumferential arcuate flange 2 which is shapedto overlap the upper or lower end rim (not illustrated), as the case maybe, of the container body which is formed of paperboard, fiberboard orother similar inexpensive non-metallic sheet material.

A packing ring (not shown) may be interposed between the flange 2 andthe adjacent body rim. A clamping ring (not illustrated) is utilized toclamp the flange 2 against the adjacent body rim. The flat centralportion 1a, inwardly of and below the raised flange 2, is provided withan annular integral bead or indentation 3, which serves as areinforcement for the end member 1. The bead 3 is preferably thickerthan the balance of the memher, as illustrated, so as to stabilize orrigidity the central bottom portion 1a. The central bottom portion maybe planar, or shown in full line, or convex, or shown in broken line, orit may be concave, to increase the rigidity or reinforcement thereof.

Referring now to FIG. 2 in detail, there is shown an end member 4pursuant to the present invention, which may be formed of the materialand by the previously described processes, the mcmber 4 is also providedwith a raised arcuate circumferential depending flange or sheet 2.However, in the present embodiment, the lower flat bottom 4a inwardly ofthe raised-skirt, is reinforced at its center with a concave portion 5,and by the convex beads 6 which extend or radiate in the form of a starfrom said concave portion.

Referring now to FIG. 3 in detail, there is shown an other embodiment ofan end closure member 7 fora container or the like. Pursuant to thepresent embodiment, it is possible to meet the requirements for aspecialized reinforcement construction of the bottom of the closuremember as well as to provide the requirements for a closure device.

In addition to the raised depending arcuate circumferential flange orskirt 8, which serves the same functions as the skirts 2 in FIGS. 1 and2, there are provided the three concentric beads 9, It) and 11, inwardlyof the skirt 7, in the bottom 7:: of the end member. Said beads areintegral with and formed out of the material of the end member, as inthe prior embodiments. The outermost head 9 is directed inwardly of theend member, and the intermediate head 10 and innermost bead 11 are eachdirected outwardly of the end member. The beads 9 and it) each have adepth which is greater than the innermost head 11. Furthermore, eachhead is thicker than the fiat central portion of the bottom 7a withinthe inner bead 11 to further strengthen the end member.

Referring now to FIG. 4 in detail, there is shown an other embodiment ofthe present invention. As here shown the end member or cover 12 ismounted in position on one end of a container body lea which is providedwith the circular rim 14, said body being formed of the relativelyinexpensive sheet material, as previously described.

. The end member 12 is formed of a stabilized plastic and is providedwith a circumferential raised flange 15 in the form of a hollow circularbead which encompasses the circular rim 14. A clamping ring 16 overliesthe bead flange 15 and clamps it against the rim 1d enclosed thereby.The flange 15 is thicker than the balance of the end member 12 and sinceit encloses the rims 14 is self-tightened and tensioned thereon andeliminates the need for a special packing ring between thefiange and therim 14.

Referring now to FIG. 5 in detail, there is shown another end'member orcover 17 formed of a suitable plastic, and provided with an outer raisedcircumferential flange or skirt 18, similar to the previously describedskirt 2. The lower flat bottom portion 17a is provided with the fillingor dispensing spouts 19 and 20 which extend to a level lower than thatof the raised skirt 18. The spouts are integral with the cover 17. Theraised spout 19 is threaded internally thereof and the raised spout 20is threaded externally thereof, said threads being of any desiredformation. In addition, the bottom portion 17a, as here shown, isprovided with an indicia, in the form of the numeral which is inscribedor formed directly into the material of which the cover 17 isfabricated, during the molding or pressing of the cover.

' or insert is internally threaded, as shown, and has a preferablypolygonal external surface.

The plug is inserted into the, spout 21 during the molding of the cover17. While the spouts or sockets shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 are each adaptedto receive a threaded closure device, that is an externally threadedplug in the case of the spouts 19 and 21, and an internally threaded capin the case of the spout 20, it will be understood that other forms ofspouts may be utilized to receive complementary closure devices. Incases which require particularly complicated fittings at the filling ordispensing openings, the apertures and the complementary closures mayalso be connected to each other by a simple bonding of similar pieces ofmaterial.

Referring now to FIG. 7 in detail, there are shown a pair of superposedstacked containers 40 and 41. The

. upper container 40 has a body member 23 formed of fiber or similarinexpensive material. The body member 23 is provided with a peripheralindentation 23a above a bottom rim 23b which terminates in the-foldedover edge 23c, and which defines a recess 23d between the indentation23a and the edge 23c. A metal ring 24 which extends into the recess 23dand the area defined by the indentation 23a reinforces the lower end ofthe body member 23.

The plastic end member 25 forms the bottom closure for the uppercontainer or receptacle 4-0. The bottom member '25 has a thickened outerrim or edge 26 which is inserted into therecess 23d and a packing ring27 is disposed on the periphery of the rim 26 and fills the remainingspace-within the recess 23d. The rim or flange 26 is adhesively securedto the adjacent' portions of the body number 23.

The flange26 is provided also with a transition packing edge 28 whichabuts theinner surface of-the indentation 23a so as to provide atransition smooth surface between the body member 23 and the bottommember 25. In addition, the edge 28 may be secured to the body member23, as by cementing and preferably by being heat bondedthereto. Thebottom closure member 25 is also provided, inwardly of the flange 26,with a concave thickened reinforcement head 29. In addition, the bottomclosure member is provided with a continuous depending projection orflange 30 between the bead 29 and the lateral flange 26, the function ofwhich will be presently described. It will be noted that the flange 30is inwardly of the reinforcing ring 24 on the body member 23 andterminates upwardly of the bottom of said ring so as not to projecttherebeyond. The depending projection '30 may be provided withperforations, if desired.

The lower container or receptacle 41 is provided with a body member 35formed of fiber sheet material or other inexpensive sheet material, aspreviously described, and terminates in an upper edge or rim 35a whichis provided with a peripheral indentation 35b. The upper end memher, acover 32 of the lower container is formed of the same material and inthe same manner, as the previously described end members. Said member 32is provided with an outer depending flange or skirt 34 which overliesand encompasses the upper rim 35a of the body member 35. A metalclamping ring 36, which overlies the flange 34 and extends into theindentation 35b, presses the flange 34 against the rim 35a. The cover 32is provided with a concave reinforcing bead 37 which is thicker than thebalance of the cover. A continuous projection or flange 33 extendsupwardly from the cover 32, between the outer flange 34 and the bead 37thereof. It will be noted from FIG. 7 that the projections 30 and 33cooperate in centering the containers for stacking or superimposing thelatter, the depending flange 30 being inwardly of and abutting theupwardly extending flange 33, so as to secure the cans in stackedrelationship.

As in the case of FIG. 5, an indicia or inscription may be molded orformed into the plastic end members of any of the described embodiments,at relatively little cost.

The previously described and illustrated embodiments are merelyillustrative of various possibilities of shaping both bottoms and coversfor receptacles or containers to suit every purpose for which they maybe utilized. The end members are all chemically inert or stable and arepractically unbreakable so that they can take the various stresses towhich the containers are subjected. Depending upon the particular usesto which the containers may be put, it is possible to add a smaller or agreater amount of stabilizer to the plastic so as to make the endmembers flexible, elastic or rigid, as may be required.

While the end members have been illustrated and described in connectionwith container body members formed of fibrous sheet material, it will beunderstood that they are not limited to use with such material but thatthey can be used with body members formed of other materials, such as,for example, and not by way of limitation, steel, wool or metal.

In this connection, it will be noted that by the additional use ofadhesives or by heat treatment, and hence by direct connection with thecontainer jacket, the plastic end members will provide a stable, inertand tight sealing means for the containers.

As an example of an embodiment of the invention about 40 component partsof glass fiber are added to 60 component parts of polyester resin inorder to impart the necessary stability to the cover and bottom membersof the container. The quantity of glass fiber added may be reduced orincreased according to the degree of flexibility or rigidity it isdesired to obtain. Instead of polyester resin, a selection can be madefrom the group of condensation and poly-addition resins as well asphenol-formaldehyde resins including melamine resins, polyamides andsilicons.

A sufficient degree of'stability is obtained, for example by theaddition'of textile fiber or wood shavings. The ratio of the admixtureis then approximately the same as when glass fiber is added, that is40%. In many cases good flexibility is desired for the cover and bottommembers, it is-then advisable to employ polymerization resins selectedfrom the group including polyethylene, polystyrol, polyvinylchloride andpolyvinyl-acetate, and in a similar way stability can be attained by theaddition of organic substances, such as, for example, glass or mineralfiber, textile fibers, wood shavings and the like.

The invention which includes primarily the combination of the cover andbody members of the container with the container walls made fromcardboard or fiber, enables the cover and bottom members of thecontainer composed of thermoplastics, to be hardened or renderedflexible according to actual requirements.

This is attained by varying the quantities of organic or syntheticsubstances added to the thermoplastics, as indicated above.

While there is shown and described the preferred embodiments of theinvention, it will be understood that various changes may be made in thepresent invention without departing from the underlying idea orprinciples of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. An end closure for a container including a body member formed offibrous sheet material, a bottom rim provided at the lower end of saidbody member, a reinforcing ring encompassing said rim, said end closurecomprising a bottom closure member mounted by said body member at thelower end thereof, said bottom closure member being formed of chemicallyinert corrosion resistant material and being provided with a continuousperipheral flange mounted by said rim, said bottom closure member havinga continuous projection depending therefrom and terminating inwardly ofsaid reinforcing ring for engagement with a complementary upwardprojection on the cover member of an underlying container, and areinforcing bead defined in said bottom closure member inwardly of saidprojection thereof, said reinforcing bead being thicker than theremainder of said bottom closure member.

2. An end closure for a container including a body member formed offibrous sheet material having a peripheral indentation and a bottom rimprovided at the lower end thereof below the indentation including afolded over lower end defining with the upper wall of the rim anin-turned annular recess, a reinforcing ring encompassing said rim, saidbottom closure member being formed of chemically inert corrosionresistant material of the general characteristics of plastic, and beingprovided with a continuous peripheral flange extending into the internalrecess of said rim, said bottom closure having a continuous annularprojection extending therefrom and terminating short of the bottom ofsaid reinforcing ring, said projection having one substantially straightside face for engagement with a complementary upward projection on thecover member of an underlying container, said bottom closure furtherincluding a portion extending flush with the interior top face of saidperipheral indentation, and a reinforcing bead defined in said bottomclosure member inwardly of said projection thereof, said reinforcingbead being thicker than the remainder of said bottom closure member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS372,487 Purves Nov. 1, 1887 (Other references on following page) UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Hulme Dec. 4, 1917 Eggress July 28, 1931 McDowell -Mar.27, 1934 Conner June 25, 1940 Carroll Oct. 10, 1950 Hoppes July 17, 1951Schilling June 10, 1952 Snyder Sept. 30, 1952 Benson Sept. 30, 1952Robinson Oct. 21, 1952 Rosenlof Mar, 3, 1953 8. Crooks May 11, 1954 RoopNov. 23, 1954 Gits et a1. June 28, 1955 Ditrnae June 19, 1956 Rieke Nov.27,1956 Bergstrom Dec. 25, 1956 Abplanalp July 16, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTSGreat Britain Jan. 31, 1938 Canada Oct. 16, 1951 Great Britain Mar. 9,1955

